The oft-delayed opening of Porto’s Bakery in Downtown Disney that was first announced two years ago is finally back on track — a move that will have a ripple effect on the nomadic Earl of Sandwich restaurant.
Porto’s Bakery & Cafe will begin construction on its newest location at Downtown Disney in 2025, according to Porto’s officials.
The Downtown Disney bakery would be Porto’s seventh location in Southern California.
Porto’s decision to open a Downtown Disney location on the site of the former La Brea Bakery was announced to much fanfare during the D23 Expo in 2022 at the Anaheim Convention Center.
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La Brea Bakery closed in early 2023 to make way for the new Porto’s — but construction never started as expected.
A temporary Earl of Sandwich location moved into the former La Brea Bakery eatery while Porto’s pressed pause on plans for the east end of Downtown Disney.
Earl of Sandwich installed a temporary trailer in early 2024 on the west end of Downtown Disney next to the Star Wars Trading Post, but the pop-up location sat unused for six months.
The temporary trailer finally opened in July — suggesting Earl of Sandwich might soon be exiting the former La Brea Bakery location. But that still hasn’t happened.
Earl of Sandwich is currently operating both locations at the outdoor shopping mall next to Disneyland and Disney California Adventure.
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The original Earl of Sandwich restaurant was torn down in 2022 along with AMC Theatre, Starbucks West and Sugarboo and Co. as part of the renovation of the west end of Downtown Disney.
A new two-story Earl of Sandwich location set to be built near the Downtown Disney performance lawn will include a quick service walk-up counter, sit-down Earl of Sandwich Tavern restaurant and an upstairs bar.
Amid all the inaction, speculation swirled that Porto’s had backed out of plans to open in Downtown Disney, according to MousePlanet.
“The sticking point appeared to be Disney’s requirement that all Downtown Disney partners open their doors 365 days a year, including Thanksgiving and Christmas,” according to MousePlanet.
Other Porto’s locations are closed or close early around the Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday seasons.
